Hall of Fame Scout Gives Tips on Living Good and Making the Team

There is nothing like a cruise. But when you combine a cruise with presentations by a Hall of Fame baseball scout, you have an unbeatable combination.

Lunch aboard the Celebrity Eclipse with Al Goldis

Such was the case a few weeks ago when Al Goldis, who worked in scouting and player development for the Orioles, Angels, White Sox, Brewers, Cubs, Reds and Mets shared his knowledge of baseball with those of us aboard the Celebrity Eclipse on its seven day cruise of the Caribbean.

Goldis is intelligent, animated and engaging and even if baseball isn’t your thing, he’ll make you consider becoming a fan. He talks not just of teams, players and statistics, but also spells out why things happen on the baseball field and how the traits that make players succeed or fail can also lead to success or failure in business and in life.

Goldis’ baseball knowledge is irrefutable. He also has a great sense of why things happen from a physical and psychological sense. That stems from his degree in physical education, motor learning and biomechanics from Columbia University.

He started his scouting career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1978. He served as the director of scouting and player development for the Chicago White Sox from 1986 through '90 and fashioned the team's '90 draft, one of the best ever. He was voted into the Pro Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame in February 2009. He worked with such well-known owners as Gene Autry (Angels), Marge Schott (Reds) and Jerry Reinsdorf (White Sox).

Among Goldis basic tenets is that “physical talent gets you signed but intellect and makeup  cause you to improve.” He also says “successful players have great self-esteem” such as some of those he recruited like Frank Thomas, Robin Ventura and Jack McDowell.

He says that “All-Star players play in All-Star games, but not necessarily on championship teams.”

He talks of numbers. “What are the odds of a team getting three straight hits in a game?” asks Goldis. Answer: a remarkably low 1.75%. What are the odds that a player signed to a contract by a major league organization never makes it in the Bigs? Goldis says between 93% and 94%. “You have a better chance of becoming a neurosurgeon,” he adds.  What is the most important count in baseball? 1- 1. Batters that go 2-1 hit between .240 and .315, while those that go 1-2, hit between .180 and .235. Reason: after going 1-2, a batter becomes defensive at the plate.

Scouts look for left-handed prospects who can run from home to first in 4.2 seconds; 4.3 seconds for righty. Scouts also like to see minor league players with a slugging percentage of .460, an on-base percentage of .350 to .360. They look for hitters who strike out no more than 17% of the time, unless the player is a home run hitter and then no more than 25% of the time. Goldis says pitching prospects should give up less than one hit per inning and average one strikeout per inning.

While the Hall of Famer went on to talk about angles and spacing and speed and quickness and the importance of concentration, it also became obvious that he wanted his message to be about more than baseball. As a scout and now a speaker, he tries to instill in his audiences a formula for success that works for anyone regardless of who they are or what they do. He uses the acronym FISHES for family, intellect, socialization, health, economics and spirituality, the six areas of life that given the proper attention will create positive results.

FISHES. A concept as good on land as it was at sea.